Automatic electric water-heater.



MILES. AUTOMATIU ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION-FILED JAN. 29, 1912.

,rat nnea A r; 1,1913.

mu. 'Hllh UNITED. s'ratrns PATENT oFFIo Ewrs MILEs, or" sAn ,rrini crsco, CALIFORNIA:

" Specification of was atent;

, nn'roivm'rrc ELECTRIC WAT R-HEA E J Patented Apr. 1,1913.

Application filed January 29, 1912. Serial No. 674,108;

To all whom it may concern Be it known. that I, LEWIS MILES, a citizen of the United States, residing in the cityof San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Automatic Electric ater-Heater, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for heating water by bringing it in heat, absorbing relation to-an electrical resistance medium, which is automatically subjected to the heating current by the flow of-the water to be heated.

' One object of my invention is to provide a device of this class-in which an electric circuit closer'is indirectly subjected toithe;

rise and fall of the water pressure for ope-11 ing and closing the cir'c'uitfso that a stand ard switch mi be employedwithout subjecting tl16'.\\1,.1 t01l1 deteriorating influence of the water.

Another object is to sul'iject theresistance medium to direct contact with the wate'r un der conditions which will lcecp-tlie""resistance conductor "at all times subn'ierged and, therefore, protected against fusing, so that the current can be utilized under .niore economical conditions. p

Other objects of my invention relate to the production of asimple, cheap and reliable means for realizing the objects above.

mentioned.

These "several. objects are attained by a mechanism embodying the principles of con struction and relations of parts disclosed in the accoi'upanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan \iQW ot'the automatic electric water heater with the cover plate removed; and liiiz'. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2----2 oi Fig. 1.

1 represents a water supply pipe having a controlling cock 9 and to the discharge end of which the automatically controlled electric heater is applied. In, the embodiment selected for illustration, this consists of a cylinder 3 attached to and receiving the water supply frmn the pipe 1 and containing a piston 4 whose rod 5 acts as a push bar to close a standard type'ol electric switch 6. which may be conveniently located in the l'zousing i 8. A. spring 9 surrounding the piston rod 5 imparts return movement to the piston 1 which opens the switch 6.

10 represents wires forming part of the electric circuit of two heating coils 11 and- 14, which are arranged within an insulating tube'12 and separated by a concentric insulating tube 13.

' The cylinder 3 is provided with alower pressure chamber 15, fro-In which water flows bya restricted pipe 16 to an annular space 17 .within the cylinder18= containing theresistance coils, and Within which the outer insulating tube 12 is supported in a manner to close the spacel'i' at top, so that the water entering said space has to flow downwardly through the passageways 19 between the lower end of the insulating tube 12 and the spacing block 19 inorder to gain access to the heating coils. Passing upwardly through the open-ended heating spaces 20 and 20, the water comes in direct- -c0ntact with the greatly enlargedl'ieating surfaces of the resistance coils 11 and 14, from which it escapes by the pressure behind it assisted by'the increasing levity oi the water, into the upper chamber-21, from which it flows through the spout 22. i The 'watei anay gather some heat from the outer insulating tube 12,"but it begins to collectits main heat units when it passes beneath the lower end of said tube and its temperature constantly increases untilit" reaches the top.

By having the water escape i at top, the

resistance coils are constantly "-sublnerged and are thereby preventedfrom'fuslng, sothat code of high resistance and great heating capacity can be safely-employed.

lVhen the cock 2 is opened, water-entering the pressure chamber 15 will meet with sufficient resistance in escaping through the relatively smaller tube 16 to develop switch operating ""ressure beneath the piston 4, so that the latter will be forced upward to close the switch (3 and supply current to the coils 11 and 11-. Being suitably protected, as for instance by the cup washer 4 the water cannot escape past the piston at to impair the switch 6. The water escaping through the pi pc 16 heated and delivered as already described. closed, the pressure in the chamber 15 is so far reduced as to permit the spring 19 to more the piston a downward and open the switch 6, thereby cutting off the current from the coils 11 and Hand preventing the consumption of current when hotwater is not needed.

I claim 1. In an electric water heater adapted to be connected to a water discharge pipe,-a

\Yhen the cock 2 issuitably housed piston subjected to the pressure of Water from said supply pipe but preventingthe water passing the piston, a switch adapted, to be closed by the said piston, means for opening the switch when -2, Inan automatic electric heater, a water chamberadapted to receive water from a discharge pipe, a restricted outlet from said chamberadaptedto develop pressure within the chamber, a suitablyhoused piston having its housing in communication with said water chamber whereby the piston is subjected. to the water pressure, said piston bemg constructed to prevent the flow of water around it, a thrust switch adapted to be operated by said ,piston, means returning the switch and piston when the pressure-is relieved, and a resistance coil in heating relation to waiter escaping through the restricted outlet from the chamber, said heating coil having a circuit controlled by said switch. 3'. In an automatic electric waterlheater, the combination wit-ha pressure chamber, a piston subjected to pressure of water introduced in said chamber, an electric switch controlled by said piston, and a resistance coil having a V circuit i controlled by said v switch, said resistance coil having a housing constructed to receive and direct water from the pressure chamberthrough the resistance coil from the bottom of the resistance coil upward and said housing having a dischargbiltlet communicating with the upper end-of the resistance coil housing, whereby the resistance coil is kept submerged.

T4; In anautomatic electric heater, the

combination with the water chamber, a piston subjected to pressure of water n said chamber, a switch controlled by said iston, a pair of open-ended concentric v rtical heating chambers having an electrically monconducting partition wall between them, resistance coils located in the respective chambers, a circuit for said coils controlled by theswitch, a housing surrounding the heating chambers receiving water from the pressure chamber and delivering it to the bottom of the heating chambers, and a discharge outlet communicating with the top of the heating" chambers.

5. Inan automatic electric heater, the combination with the water chamber, a pisston subjected to pressure of water in said chamber, a switch controlled by said piston, a pair of' open-ended concentric vertical heating chambers having-an electrically nonconducting partition Wall between them, resistance coils located in the respective chambers, a circuit for said coils controlled by the switch, a housing surrounding the heating chambers receiving water from the pressure chamber and delivering it to the bottom of the heating chambers, and a discharge outlet communicating with the top of the heating chambers;- the outer heating chamber having an outer wall spaced within the wall of the housing providing an annular water receiving space in communication with the pressure chamber, said water receiving space I being closed at top and communicating with the'heating chambers at bottom. A

Dated and signed at the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, this twenty-fourth day of January, 1912,

LEWIS MILES; Witnesses Faro l-I. SIJI'IIISON,

VILLIAM Inc-ms. 

